Do birth control pills cause weight gain?
Women often blame the birth control pill for weight gain. But studies have shown that the effect of the birth control pill on weight is small — if it exists at all.
However, the way the hormones in birth control pills act on tissues in your breasts, hips and thighs can make you feel as if you’ve gained weight. This is usually due to fluid retention and not increased body mass or fat. Estrogen in birth control pills directly affects fat (adipose) cells, making them larger, but not greater in number.
In very rare circumstances women may add muscle, which can add weight, when taking the pill. This is due to the slight male-sex-hormone effect that the pill may have on some women.
But no matter if pill-related weight gain is perceived or real, many women find this side effect undesirable. Taking pills with a low dose of estrogen may diminish these effects, but you may also experience a greater risk of spotting between periods.
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